Coupler



E. P. KINNE Jan. 1, 1935,

COUPLER Filed Nov. 10, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l I r? ,/ww

E. P. KINNE Jan. 1, 1935.

COUPLER Filed NOV. 10, 1928 Ill I III E. P. KINNE Jan. 1, 1935.

COUPLER Filed Nov. 10, 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Jan. 1, 1935. R jNNE 91,986,439

COUPLER Filed Nov. 10, 1928 4 sheets-sheet 4 Int/ rab? Y Edmund P1672710- UNITED I S'lATES PATEN oFFIC E COUPLER Edmund P. Kinne, Alliance, Ohio, assignorto American Steel Foundries, Chicago, 111., a corporation of New Jersey Application November 10, 1928, Serial No. 318,350

15 Claims.

This inventionpertains to draft rigging. for

railway rolling stock, and more particularly to that class of draft rigging especially designed for application to the underframes of railway cars, and includes in combination with car sills, means for connecting a coupler to the draft mechanism and for connecting the draft mechanism to the car underframe.

It is an object to obtain a strong and service-v able radial shank connection in the simplest pose sible manner, one which will have the least possible surfaces subject to wear, which result in ment whereby emergency pulling contact will be had between the forward end of the yoke and the back of the buffer casting in case of failure of the draft gear or yoke straps, and one in which there is provided a coupler'shank of ideal design having a simple key slot as with the present standard shank and being of great strength both under tension and compression, the shank having sides providing an ideal column construction to resist upsetting or distortion under bufiing action.

Another additional object is to provide a construction wherein the coupler shank'permits of its being applied to cars having the accepted A. R. A. standard design for integral striking casting and coupler carrier, and wherein the angling of the coupler is limited only by the contact of shank sides against the sides of the coupler opening in the striking casting and not by contact with the yoke jaws as in some arrangements. i H

Yet another object is to provide a construction wherein the pivotal action between, the coupler and yoke is provided for by the same piece which connects them for pulling action,,that is, the vertical key, wherein there are no superfluous connections with keys or small bearing pieces and wherein the vertical key is of ideal design to provide large bearing surface, free pivotal action and large area to resist shearing.

.A further object is to provide a construction wherein generous bearing area is provided at key bearings and butt bearings, insuring minimum wear, and wherein large sectional areas in ten sion, compression and shear are also provided.

Still further object of the arrangement is to provide a construction in which the coupler is permitted to angle freely regardless-of the compression in the draft gear to thereby permit coupling on curves without delay or effort and in or,- der to eliminate transmission of side movement to the coupler key to thereby avoidwear of the 5 key and keyways and to prevent any blows on the cotter or other key fasteners;

Yet further object is to provide a coupler retaining the advantages of the standard A. R A. coupler and one which includes an efiicient guide to maintain the couplershank in proper position, adequate provision for vertical angular movement without pinching the key in either the coupler or yoke, positive emergency connection in the event of yoke or draft gear breakage, ready l5 removal and replacement of coupler and draft gear and the entire draft attachments, and also to provide an arrangementwhich includes all of the advantages claimed for the so-called swivel butt arrangement, and includes additional advantages such as greater simplicity, increased strength and increased bearing surfaces.

Another further object is to provide a construction which is inexpensive tomake and maintain and one which fulfills all requirements of manufacture and service, and which also is readily replaceable by parts of standard construction without. material changes in the car or draft appliance.

Still further additional object is to provide coupler mechanism having a bufiing piece separate from the coupler shank, permitting designing of the coupler structureto secure maximum strength in buffing areas to resistcompressive stresses, and to provide a coupler of such construction that if said coupler fails, it is only necessary toremove and replace the coupler proper.

Another object is to provide a construction whereby a construction similar to a swivel butt coupler arrangement may be associated with any type of draft appliance.

A different object is to provide a coupler and bufiing block arrangement whereby the block will follow the coupler and whereby the arrangement may be replaced by the standard coupler arrange:

ment. i

With these and various other objects in view, the invention may consist ofcertain'novel features of construction and operation-as willbe more fully described and particularly pointed out in the specification, drawingsand claims appended hereto. r

In the drawings, .which illustrate an embodiment of the deviceand wherein like reference characters are used to designate like parts- Figure 1 is a fragmentary top plan view, partly in section, showing the application of the draft appliance to draft sills of a railway car;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary sectional side elevation, showing the connection between the coupler, yoke and buffing piece the same being taken substantially in the plane as indicated by the line 22 of Figure l; y v

Figure 3 is .a fragmentary sectional elevation of the coupler mechanism, the same being taken substantially in the plane as indicated by the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary sectional top plan view of the coupler and-associated mechanism illustrated in Figure 1, showing the same in draft and angled position;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary sectional top plan view\of the coupler and associated mechanism illustrated in Figure 1, showing the same in buff and angled position;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional top plan view, showing a modified form of the device illustrated in Figure l Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional side elevation of the modification shown in Figure 6, showing the connection between the yoke, coupler shank and bufling piece;

Figure 8 is a fragmentary sectional top plan View, showing an application of a further modified form of the draft appliance to the draft sills of a railway car; I 1

' Figure 9' is a fragmentary sectional side eleva-' tion of the draft appliance illustrated in Figure 8, the same being taken substantially in the plane as indicated by the line 9-9 of Figure 8;

' Figure 10 is a fragmentary sectional top plan view illustrating the replacement of the coupler shown in Figures 8 and 9 with the standard couyoke, draft sills of any form, such as I-beam or channel section, are spaced apart and have secured thereto a suitable number of straps or carry irons 21. The forward ends of the draft sills are secured to a strikingcasting 22, which striking casting preferably extends within the draft sills and is provided with integral stops 23, the striking casting, side sills and end sill forming an integral structure, as illustrated particularly in Figure 2, the striking casting being preferably provided with a bearing 26 for supporting the coupler shank 27 of the coupler member 28. The striking casting mayconv eniently be formed with a return stop member" 29 limiting the forward movement of the yoke 30. A back stop casting 31 may be provided between the draft sills and secured thereto, the same being preferably attached adjacent the crossbearers or bolsters of the structure and may be of such form as to have a portion extending toward the striking casting and provided with stops 32.

The yoke is shown as of the vertical plane type, said-yoke being provided with the usual draft gear provided between the front and rear followers 33 and 34 respectively. This yoke'is provided'with forward ends 35 and 36 providing a generous bearing area against the portion 29 and the rear of the lower portion of the striking casting. The yoke at its forward end is provided with vertically disposed straps 37 so disposed however that they in no way impede the angling movement of the coupler 28, yet at the same time they provide tie members for the upper and lower members of the yoke. The yoke is provided at its forward end with elongated vertically aligned apertures or keyways 38 adapted to accommodate the vertical key 39, a cage or housing 40 being provided on the yoke adjacent the lower keyway for retaining the vertical key 39 in its operating position. This housing is preferably formed having facing flanges 41 and 42, said flanges being adapted to support a key retaining locking plate 43 adapted to be inserted through the aperture between the flanges and locked in place on said flanges by means of the movable key 44.

A bearing or bufling block 45 is provided with aflat front follower engaging surface and an arcuate surface 46 adapted to cooperate with corresponding arcuate surface 47 provided on the end of the coupler shank 27. The coupler shank is slotted on the end thereof as at 48 to receive a forwardly extending tongue 49 provided on the arcuate surface of the bufling block 45, said tongue being provided with elongated keyway 50 for the reception of the key 39, said key extending through keyways 51 provided in the coupler shank, said keyways being flared to permit angling of the coupler with respect to the key. The sides of the coupler shank are not interrupted; on the contrary, the slot for the reception of the tongue 49 may not even extend all the way across the arcuate surface of the coupler shank.

In operation then, in draft, the coupler member may move away from the front follower 33 to the limit of the keyways provided in the yoke, movement of the coupler moving the buffing block with it, angling movement being permitted and only limited by the striking casting 22. forward movement of the coupler of course brings the usual draft gear into play in the usual manner through the yoke and stops. In buff, the coupler moves rearwardly, depressing the draft gear, the bufiing block 45 contacting the forward follower 33 and angling movement of the coupler permitting transmission of the stresses to the draft gear through contact of the cooperating arcuate surfaces of the coupler and bufliing block, it being noticed that a maximum bearing area is provided no matter what the position of the coupler.

Referring now more particularly to the modification illustrated in Figures 6 and 7, as before the draft sills '75 are spaced apart and have the striking casting '76 provided thereon, said striking casting having portions extending within said sills and being provided with stops '77 for en gagement with parts of the usual draft gear. As before, the striking casting is provided with a suitable bearing 78 for the coupler shank '79 and upper and lower stops 80 and 81 for engagement with the forward parts 82 and 83 of the vertical plan yoke 84. The yoke, striking casting and sills are provided with registering keyways 85, 86 and 87 which are normally not in use. The coupler shank is provided with vertical enlarged elongated apertures 88 for the reception of the vertical pin 89 disposed through suitable elongated apertures 90 disposed in the yoke 84.

The cage member 91 is similar to the cage member 40, being provided for the retention of the vertical key 89. As before, the coupler shank is provided on the ends thereof with an arcuate surface 92 cooperating with an arcuate surface 93 Continued a nose-13o of the buffing piece 94, said bufling piece having a flat hack portion cooperating with the draft gear. The buffing piece is provided with forwardly extending tongue 96 extending into the slot 97 provided in the coupler end, and said tongue is provided with a keyway 98 for the reception of the key 89 pivotally attaching the builing piece to the coupler shank. In this case, the buffing piece is adapted for use with the Farlow draft gear and so is provided with a slot99 for the reception of the forwardly extending pin usual in this type of draft gear,-the end of the coupler shank being shaped for the reception of said pin.

The operation of this form of arrangement is the same as has already been described with respect to the modification illustrated in Figures 1 to 5 inclusive, in which the draft movement of the coupler is limited by contact between the yoke and the stops on the striking casting, angling of the coupler also preferably being limited by the striking casting. In buff, the maximum stresses are transmitted through the bufling piece over a maximum bearing area due to the cooperating arcuate surfaces on the coupler shank and buffing piece. In this form, should it be desired to replace this structure with the standard coupler structure, the coupler shank being provided with aligned horizontally disposed keyways, it is only necessary to remove the coupler shank 79 and the vertical key. 89 and insert the standard coupler, retaining the same through a horizontalkey disposed through the keyways 85, 86 and 87 and the keyway provided in the coupler shank.

Referring now more particularly to the structure illustrated in FiguresS to 11 inclusive, the

draft sills are provided with cheek'plates 111 secured thereto as at 112 and extending toward the striking casting 113 which is also secur-edto the sills 110. The striking casting is secured as at 122 to the end sill 123 andthe floor 124,and said striking casting is provided with a suitable bearing for supporting the shank 126 of the coupler 127. The check plates are each provided with a horizontally disposed aperture or keyway 114 and are each formed to provide in combination with the striking casting another horizontally disposed keyway 115, it being understood that the keyways 114 and 115 respectively are aligned in the car structure. In the assembly shown, a horizontal plane yoke 116 is provided, said yoke. having keyways 11'7 adapted to be aligned with the keyways 114 and keyways 118 adapted to be aligned with the keyways 115, said yoke being also provided with upper and lower end portions 119 provided with aligned vertically disposed keyways 120, the upper and lower portions of the yoke terminating in bearings or stops 121 adapted to contact with portions of the striking casting 113 for limiting the forward movement of the yoke.

The yoke 116 is provided with a front follower 128 which is of the Farlow type, having the forwardly extending pilot 129, said follower being substantially wedge-shaped and provided witha keyway for the reception of the key 130 movably securing the follower in operative position, the key being disposed through keyways 114 and 117. It is of course to be understood that the usual draft gear is applied between the follower and the yoke, and it is also to be understood that any other type of draft gear may be used with this horizontal plane yoke.

In the modification illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, there is provided a butting or bearing piece or block131 having a fiat face adapted to abutthe :faceof the follower and an arcuate face 132 adapted to have'engagement with a corresponding 'arcuate surface 133 provided on the end of the coupler shank. The coupler shank is provided with an opening or slot 134 between the side walls of theshank, extending from the rear radial bearing surface 133 to a point in front of a vertically disposed keyway 135. This slot 134 is for the purpose of accommodating a tongue 136 provided on the arcuate surface of the bearing block, the tongue being provided with a keyway 137 of slight- 1y greater width than the vertically disposed key 138, the keyway in the coupler shank however being made of greater width at its forward end than at its rear end to permit the coupler shank being angled with respect to the key, yoke and the radial bearing block. The bearing block is provided at its center with a hole or pocket 139 for the reception of the pilot 129 of the Farlow type front follower, the tongue 136 of the bearing block being also provided with an extension of said hole for a sufficient distance forward to accommodate this pilot. The yoke is provided with a suitable lockingcage 140 of the type such as has already been described for retaining the key 138 in operative position.

If it is desired to replace the coupler structure illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 with the standard A. R. A. type of coupler with the horizontal type of key, this may be done as illustrated in Figures 10 and 11, in which the coupler 127 and the bearing block 131 have been removed and the standard coupler 141 having shank 142 provided with a horizontally disposed keyway 143 is disposed within the draft sills and is keyed by the horizontal key 144 through the keyways 115 and 118 in operative position. I

In the operation of the structure illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, it will be seen that in draft the coupler may move the yoke forwardly until the stops 121 contact the striking casting, in which case the stresses will be directly transmitted to the sills, the stresses before this point is reached being transmitted through the draft gear, front follower, the key 130 and cheek plates to the 'sills It will be noticed that due to the disposi- "tion of the coupler that angling is permitted in draft or buff. In buff, the stresses are transmitted through the coupler and yoke and draft gear to the sills and finally through the key 130 and cheek plates 111 to the sills, at which point it will be understood that the key 130 is in contact with the after portion of the slot 114. The stresses are transmitted directly through the coupler and through the radial bearing block, a maximum bearing area being provided as will be appreciated due to the contact between the arcuate surfaces of the coupler shank and the bearing block,

and this no matter in which position the coupler may be disposed.

It is to be understood that I do not wish to be limited by the exact embodiments of the device shown, which are merely by way of illustration and not limitation, as various and other forms of the device will of course be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I claim:

1. In a draft device, the combination of a coupler, a bufling piece associated with said coupler and having an arcuate bearing surface, said coupler having a shank provided with a complementary arcuate bearing surface cooperating with said first named arcuate surface, said shank having an end slot therein, said slot having an entrance through the arcuate surface of said shank, said entrance being surrounded by upper, lower and side portions of said arcuate surface whereby said arcuate surface is interrupted only by said entrance. and a bearing surface is provided around said entrance, said bufling piece having a tongue entering said slot and means securing said tongue to said shank.

2. In a draft device, the combination of a yoke having draft gear therein, a coupler associated with said yoke, a buffing piece disposed in said yoke and interposed between said coupler and draft gear, said buffing piece being provided with an arcuate bearing surface, said coupler having a complementary arcuate surface having bearing engagement with said first named arcuate surface, the arcuate surface of said coupler having a slot therein enterable onlyfrom said arcuate surface whereby a bearing surface is provided around said slot, said buffing piece having a tongue disposed on the arcuate surface and enterable into said slot, said yoke, coupler and tongue being provided with longitudinally extending keyways receiving a non-circular key for securing said yoke, coupler and buffing piece together, said yoke and tongue having keyways the sides of which are substantially parallel to the sides of said key, the keyways of said yoke being of extended length whereby said coupler and buffing piece are slidable with respect to said yoke, said coupler having a keyway substantially the width of said key, said keyway flaring outwardly away from the bufiing piece whereby said coupler is permitted to angle with respect to said key and yoke.

3. In coupler structure having a shank, said shank having a recess provided in'the end portion thereof, said recess being provided with an opening in the surface of said end, said opening being wholly within said surface and spaced from the margins thereof, said marginal portions simultaneously providing a bearing surface adapted to cooperate throughout with a bufi'ing piece associated therewith during normal relative angling of the shank and buffing piece.

4. In coupler structure having a shank, said shank having a recess provided in the end portion thereof, said recess being provided with an opening in the surface of said end and spaced from the margins thereof, said marginal portions providing a bearing surface, a bufiing piece associated with said coupler shank, said piece having a member extending within said recess and having a surface in bearing relation with said marginal portions, and means for movably securing said member in said recess.

5. In coupler structure having a shank, said shank being provided with an arcuate end surface, a recess provided in said shank and having an opening in said surface, said opening being wholly within said surface and spaced from all the margins thereof, said marginal portions providing a bearing surface.

6. In coupler structure having a shank, said shank being provided with an arcuate end surface, a recess provided in said shank and having an opening in said surface and spaced from the margins thereof, said marginal portions providing a bearing surface, a bufing piece having an arcuate surface cooperating with the arcuate surface of said shank, said piece having a member extending from said surface and into said recess and having a surface in bearing relation with said marginal portions, and means for securing said member in said recess.

7. In a draft device, the combination of a yoke,

a two -part coupler stem associated with said yoke, said coupler stem comprising a coupler butt portion and a bufiing piece, means for pivotally connecting said yoke and coupler butt-portion whereby said coupler stem has limited sliding movement and relative angular movement with said yoke, one of said parts having a portion disposed to receive and completely embrace a projecting portion of the other of said parts, said parts having cooperating curved bearing surfaces disposed entirely around said projecting portion cooperating throughout with said buffing piece irrespective of the normal relative angling of the butt portion and bufiing piece.

8. In a draft device, the combination of a yoke, a two-part coupler stem associated with said yoke, said coupler stem comprising a coupler butt portion and a bufiing piece, means for pivotally connecting said yoke and coupler butt portion whereby said coupler stem has limited sliding movement and relative angular movement with said yoke, said coupler butt portion having an arcuate end surface, a recess provided in-said portion and having an opening in said surface spaced from all the margins thereof, and a buffing piece provided with an arcuate surface cooperating with the arcuate surface of said butt portion, said piece having a member extending from said surface and into said recess.

9. In a draft device, the combination of a yoke, a two-part coupler stern associated with said yoke, said coupler stem comprising a coupler butt portion and a buffing piece, means including a key member for pivotally connecting said yoke and coupler butt portion whereby said coupler stem has limited sliding movement and relative angular movement with said yoke, said coupler butt portion having an arcuate end surface, a recess provided in said portion and having an opening in said surface spaced from all the margins thereof, and a buffing piece provided with an arcuate surface cooperatingwith the arcuate surface of said butt portion, said piece having a member extending from said surface and into said recess, said extending member of said buffing piece being provided with an aperture through which said key iextends thereby securing said parts together and providing for relative angular movement thereof. 10. A two-part coupler stem comprising a cou pler butt portion and a bufling piece, one of said parts having a recess provided with an opening spaced from the marginal edges thereof to provide a bearing surface around said opening, the other of said parts having a portion received in said recess through said opening and having a surface cooperating with the entire bearing surface of said other part around said opening, and means for securing said portion to said first-named part. 11. In a draft device, the combination of a yoke, a two-part coupler stem associated with said yoke, said stem comprising a coupler butt portion and a bumng piece, means for pivotally connecting said yoke and butt portion, one of said parts having a portion disposed to receive and completely embrace a projecting portion of the other of said parts, and means for providing for substantially constant bearing surfaces for the transmission of forces between said parts while permitting relative angling thereof, said means comprising arcuate surfaces on said parts disposed entirely around said projecting portion.

12. In a draft device, the combination of a yoke, a two-part coupler stem associated with said yoke, said stem comprising a coupler butt portion and a bufling piece, means for pivotally yoke, a two-part coupler stem associated with said yoke, said stem comprising a coupler butt portion and a buifing piece, means for pivotally connecting said yoke and butt portion, one of said parts having a portion disposed to receive and completely embrace a projecting portion of 1 the other of said parts, said parts being formed with cooperating curved bearing surfaces disposed entirely around said projecting portion, said means serving to loosely secure said parts together to permit relative angular movement thereof.

14. In a draft device, the combination of a yoke, a two-part coupler stem movably associated with and connected to said yoke, said stem comprising a coupler butt portion and a buffing piece, means for pivotally connecting said yoke and butt portion, one of said parts being provided with a curved end surface, a recess provided in said part and having an opening in said surface and spaced from all the margins of said surface, the other of said parts having a curved surface cooperatingwith the curved surface of said firstnamed part, said last-named part having a member extending from said curved surface and into said recess, and means for securing said parts together.

15. In a draft device, the combination of a coupler having a coupler shank, a yoke associated therewith, a buffing piece associated with said coupler shank, said coupler shank having a portion disposed to receive and completely embrace a projecting portion of said bufling piece and to provide a bearing surface entirely around said projecting portion cooperating throughout with said buffing piece irrespective of the normal relative angling of the shank and bufling piece, and means cooperating with said coupler shank and said last-named portion for loosely securing said buffing piece to said coupler shank to permit relative movement of rotation and translation therebetween.

EDMUND P. KINNE. 

